Hidden Gem has been lauded by the Chicago running community as one of the most fun and competitive races. The community of Flossmoor comes out in droves, providing more crowd support than a typical half marathon. The streets are lined with marching bands, parties, lawn chairs, and cowbells. The large prize purse brings many top tier runners out of the woodwork in attempts to PR on the flat course and test their fitness before the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. And while the marathon is now completed, race officials are still finalizing results. A Circuit standings update is anticipated in November.
Overall Women (top 25 score points)
Place | Name | Team | Points | Races | Potential Max Points* |
1 | Kristin Dailey | DWRunning | 166 | 7 | 200 |
2 | Brittany Matteson | DWRunning | 126 | 6 | 191 |
3 | Claire Krummenacher | Fleet Feet X New Balance | 105 | 5 | 187 |
4 | Julia Ordzowialy | DWRunning | 99 | 5 | 181 |
5 | Margaret Connelly | Unattached | 98 | 4 | 195 |
6 | Evance Stalley | CARA Racing Team | 94 | 8 | 156 |
7 | Samantha Greenwood | DWRunning | 79 | 6 | 150 |
8 | Lauren Zumbach | DWRunning | 73 | 5 | 148 |
9 | Brittney Burmester | CARA Racing Team | 64 | 3 | 139 |
10 | Christy Kennedy | Unattached | 63 | 5 | 138 |
As of 10/15/24
*Potential Maximum Points assumes that the runner will win the remaining unscored Circuit races. While Chicago Marathon results will not be certified for another month, the above takes into consideration whether the athlete competed in the marathon and where they finished relative to the other Circuit competitors. For example, Krummenacher finished behind Dailey and Matteson at the Chicago Marathon, so at best she could score 23 points for that race.
Only four women on the Chicago Racing Circuit were able to crack the top 25 overall at Hidden Gem. 1:26:30 was the cut off to earn one Circuit point, which is even faster than the 25th place of 1:30:03 at Bank of America Chicago 13.1 in June. Leading the charge, and the race, Fleet Feet’s Claire Krummenacher took the win in 1:16:40 and jumped in Circuit standings from 6th to 3rd.
DW’s Brittany Matteson was 2nd in 1:17:19. Previously at 102 points, Matteson would have dropped to third in the Circuit standings behind Krummenacher if she had not raced. But not racing Hidden Gem was not an option for Matteson, as the race changed her life a few years ago. If you didn’t catch the sweet story, check it out on CBS and in the Homewood-Flossmoor Journal. The timer, Red Panda Race Productions, also assigned her a special bib number to commemorate the occasion.
Two other DW Runners rounded out the overall top 25 for the Circuit. Julia Ordzowialy finished 8th in 1:20:15, moving her up one spot from 5th to 4th in Circuit standings. After removing 3 out-of-state runners, Samantha Greenwood finished 20th in 1:25:41 and remains in 7th place, but is no longer tied with DW teammate Lauren Zumbach, who drops to 8th.
Overall Circuit leader DW’s Kristin Dailey sat this one out but remains in control and eligible for a rare perfect score of 200 points. While Matteson has narrowed the gap substantially, she still sits 40 points or a couple races behind with a maximum potential Circuit score of 191 points. As another race has passed, the opportunity to score points has dwindled and only the top 5 women in the Circuit standings are competing for 1st. Although dropping to 5th place, Margaret Connelly has the next highest potential points at 195 and could make up ground quickly. Now with a maximum Circuit point total of 187, Krummenacher’s win at Hidden Gem was key for her to stay in the chase to the top.
Second and third place for the overall women category remains open to everyone in the top 10, but Greenwood, Zumbach, and CARA Racing Team’s Brittney Burmester must race all three remaining Circuit races to get a shot at the podium. We’ll know at Lake Bluff PTO Pumpkin Chase 5k whether they make a go of it.
It can take about a month to certify Chicago Marathon results, so CARA is unable to score it into the Circuit at this time. However, these outstanding performances showcase the high level of talented athletes competing in the Chicago Racing Circuit.
Chicago Marathon Top Illinois Finishers – Individual Circuit Competitors
Preliminary results subject to change
Place | Name | Team | Time |
1 | Kristin Dailey | DWRunning | 2:39:38 |
2 | Brittany Matteson | DWRunning | 2:42:52 |
5 | Claire Krummenacher | Fleet Feet X New Balance | 2:45:36 |
7 | Margaret Connelly | Unattached | 2:49:01 |
8 | Julia Ordzowialy | DWRunning | 2:49:22 |
21 | Ashley Turner | CARA Racing Team | 2:59:34 |
25 | Samantha Greenwood | DWRunning | 3:00:53 |
Overall Men (top 25 score points)
Place | Name | Team | Points | Races | Potential Max Points* |
1 | Daniel Lennington | Evanston Running Club | 91 | 6 | 170 |
2 | Sebastian Ramirez Wiener | Xtra Mile Fast Track | 90 | 10 | 155 |
3 | Jeremy Ruston | Xtra Mile Fast Track | 85 | 5 | 160 |
4 | Yoon Oh | Xtra Mile Fast Track | 84 | 8 | 159 |
5 | John Barrett | CARA Racing Team | 76 | 7 | 149 |
6 | Matthew Jeromin | Xtra Mile Fast Track | 72 | 8 | 147 |
7 | Matthew Bevil | Unattached | 70 | 4 | 145 |
7 | John Craig | Unattached | 70 | 8 | 145 |
9 | Aaron King | DWRunning | 66 | 3 | 141 |
10 | Dan Pettitt | CARA Racing Team | 65 | 6 | 140 |
As of 10/15/24
*Potential Maximum Points assumes that the runner will win the remaining three Circuit races.
If the women’s side of Hidden Gem Half Marathon was competitive, then the men’s side was cutthroat. Illinois native Colin Mickow, who competed for U.S. in the 2022 World Athletics Marathon Championships, took home the win in a blistering 1:03:40. To win a single overall Circuit point, the men had to finish 1:13:30 or faster.
John Barrett of the CARA Racing Team was the only runner in the Circuit overall top 10 able to accomplish that feat. He was the 16th Illinois finisher in 1:11:12 and earned 10 points, which moved him up in Circuit standings from 8th to 5th. Xtra Mile Fast Track’s Sebastian Ramirez Wiener (33rd in 1:14:33) and Yoon Oh (35th in 1:14:51) were the next top individual Circuit competitors.
While Chicago Marathon results will not be certified or scored for another month, preliminary results show that none of the top 10 men in the Circuit standings were in the top 25 of Illinois finishers for the Chicago Marathon. For the Circuit individual competition, the top Illinois finishers on the men’s side were Fast Track’s Yoon Oh in 2:38:32 (44th), Matthew Bevil in 2:39:11 (48th), and CARA Racing Team’s John Barrett in 2:43:54 (80th).
Without any points to hand out from the Chicago Marathon, we can look ahead a little bit more and focus on the last three races. With 25 points for a win, all of the top 10 could potentially have 75 points added to their scores except for Sebastian Ramirez Wiener, who can only add 65, and Barrett with 73. These last two have scored in more than five races and will start to drop their lowest score after eight scored races. This is a very tight competition. No runner is locked out yet from placing top three, and it doesn’t look like any runner will clinch a spot early either. This will come down to the very last race, but before the end of the season 10k in Lincolnwood arrives, these athletes must grab what points they can in Lake Bluff and at the cross country meet.
Gentlemen, good luck.
Important Links:
Join a team, follow the schedule, check standings, and learn about the CARA Hall of Fame at cararuns.org/circuit.
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